What are People Thinking About Back Home

' ~~~MTHINKING BABOUT
~ ~lfCK HOrf~
What are the people thinking about back home? As
a matter of fact, I am getting a good many communica-tions
on a great variety o! subjects . Much of my mail
has to do with the George proposal relative to raising
the income tax exemption rate from $600 to $800 this
year and to $1000 next year . Most of the communica-tions
seem to be in favor of this proposal.
I arn also getting a large number o! communications
about the elimination of various kinds of excise taxes .
The farmers in the State of Montana are making
themselves heard very definitely in favor of 90o/o of
parity at least and eventually 100% or full parity .
Many of them keep reminding me of the President's I
remarks at Kasson, Minnesota , Brookings, South Dakota
and Fargo, North Dakota , where he came out for 90o/o
parity and eventually full parity .
The question of public power is an important one
in my part of the country because you must understand
in the Pacific Northwest, we have 40o/o of the potential
hydroelectric power in the entire nation and in my own
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
State of Montana , we have lOo/o of the nation's
potential. We are very much interested in the
development of both public and private power and we
feel that there is room for both . We are against
monopolies in this very important public service
field and we are very much in accord with the previous
Administrations' views in the building of multi-purpose
projects for flood control, irrigation, reclamation
and cheap power . We feel multi-purpose projects
in the State of Montana , where feasible, would be
far superior to projects built only for the disperse-ment
of electricity .
1 am getting very little mail on McCarthy although
is evident
in late weeks , an increased demand/for a change in
the rules of procedure for Congressional Committees
so that these hearings will be carried on under the
rules of fair play and with full protection for the
witnesses who appear .
There is a certain amount of apprehension about
the war in Indo-China and the possibility of American
intervention in that struggle . There seems to be very
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
opposition to the sending of American war supplies
to Indo-China and general disapproval of sending
combat troops to that part of the world .
Many of Montana elder citizens are writing in
relative to an increase in their social security and
some few groups have stated that they would like
to be included in the same .
in the
There is an increase/d a.mwnt of interest amohg
t h e young e r p eo p 1 e /i n fa v o r of the r i g h t to v o t e a t t h e
age of eighteen .
The question of termination of federal jurisdiction
over Montana's ZZ , OOO Indians has also created a
lot of interest lately and the general opinion seems
to be while this may be a feasible prodedure, it should
not be undertaken too quickly . 1 have received a great
deal of letters and petitions both for and against
the Bricker Amendment , with the great majority of
writing in form of petitions in favor of passing the
Bricker proposal.
My state is also interested in grazing legislation
and has expressed itself in no uncertain terms against
the possibility of federal grazing lands being turned
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
over to what amounts to in effect as private ownership .
The latest item of interest is the highway aid
bill and we are hopeful that the highway aid bill when
it is considered in the Senate . will be passed not on
a population basis but rather on territory because in
r.ny state and in many other Western States , distance
is the biggest factor and the one which must be considered
if a more network of roads are to be created maintained .
This . in general , comprises some of the matters
about which 1 have been receiving mail on lately .
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana

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Transcript

' ~~~MTHINKING BABOUT
~ ~lfCK HOrf~
What are the people thinking about back home? As
a matter of fact, I am getting a good many communica-tions
on a great variety o! subjects . Much of my mail
has to do with the George proposal relative to raising
the income tax exemption rate from $600 to $800 this
year and to $1000 next year . Most of the communica-tions
seem to be in favor of this proposal.
I arn also getting a large number o! communications
about the elimination of various kinds of excise taxes .
The farmers in the State of Montana are making
themselves heard very definitely in favor of 90o/o of
parity at least and eventually 100% or full parity .
Many of them keep reminding me of the President's I
remarks at Kasson, Minnesota , Brookings, South Dakota
and Fargo, North Dakota , where he came out for 90o/o
parity and eventually full parity .
The question of public power is an important one
in my part of the country because you must understand
in the Pacific Northwest, we have 40o/o of the potential
hydroelectric power in the entire nation and in my own
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
State of Montana , we have lOo/o of the nation's
potential. We are very much interested in the
development of both public and private power and we
feel that there is room for both . We are against
monopolies in this very important public service
field and we are very much in accord with the previous
Administrations' views in the building of multi-purpose
projects for flood control, irrigation, reclamation
and cheap power . We feel multi-purpose projects
in the State of Montana , where feasible, would be
far superior to projects built only for the disperse-ment
of electricity .
1 am getting very little mail on McCarthy although
is evident
in late weeks , an increased demand/for a change in
the rules of procedure for Congressional Committees
so that these hearings will be carried on under the
rules of fair play and with full protection for the
witnesses who appear .
There is a certain amount of apprehension about
the war in Indo-China and the possibility of American
intervention in that struggle . There seems to be very
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
opposition to the sending of American war supplies
to Indo-China and general disapproval of sending
combat troops to that part of the world .
Many of Montana elder citizens are writing in
relative to an increase in their social security and
some few groups have stated that they would like
to be included in the same .
in the
There is an increase/d a.mwnt of interest amohg
t h e young e r p eo p 1 e /i n fa v o r of the r i g h t to v o t e a t t h e
age of eighteen .
The question of termination of federal jurisdiction
over Montana's ZZ , OOO Indians has also created a
lot of interest lately and the general opinion seems
to be while this may be a feasible prodedure, it should
not be undertaken too quickly . 1 have received a great
deal of letters and petitions both for and against
the Bricker Amendment , with the great majority of
writing in form of petitions in favor of passing the
Bricker proposal.
My state is also interested in grazing legislation
and has expressed itself in no uncertain terms against
the possibility of federal grazing lands being turned
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
over to what amounts to in effect as private ownership .
The latest item of interest is the highway aid
bill and we are hopeful that the highway aid bill when
it is considered in the Senate . will be passed not on
a population basis but rather on territory because in
r.ny state and in many other Western States , distance
is the biggest factor and the one which must be considered
if a more network of roads are to be created maintained .
This . in general , comprises some of the matters
about which 1 have been receiving mail on lately .
Mike Mansfield Papers, Series 21, Box 51, Folder 23, Mansfield Library, University of Montana